Sauternes: Five vintages to drink now

Sauternes is one of those wines that can be enjoyed young but in good vintages can age and evolve for decades. In the past, it wasn’t so accessible when young, often due to high doses of sulphur dioxide at bottling, which suppressed many of the wine’s characteristics, in particular its fruit.

Today, SO2 additions are more tightly regulated, and winemakers prefer to use the minimum in order to preserve the wine’s intrinsic freshness.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 great Sauternes to drink now

Even so, it’s usually worth giving a Sauternes at least five years in bottle before pulling the cork.

As the wine matures, high acidity and any flagrant new oak aromas will usually subside or integrate. Depending on the vintage, the wine will develop more opulence and nuance as it ages, so the primary expression won’t be of simple fruitiness, but will show more complexity.

The following vintages can all be broached now, and the 1999 and 2005 should not be kept too much longer – while, in contrast, the 2001 and 2011 are still in their prime.

2011

This vintage delivered a variable summer that was often cloudy and damp, especially in July. Warmer weather in late August brought early botrytis infection, while the sunshine concentrated the fruit. Yquem began its harvest on12 September and completed it on 5 October, comparing the quality of the vintage to 2009.

Nairac, unusually, was able to pick the entire crop over the last eight days of September. The cooler summer kept acidity levels high, which helped balance the very concentrated fruit. Yields were above average at about 20hl/ha, except in Bommes, where there had been hail over Easter.

Many of the best wines in 2011 were from Barsac, as the following notes confirm.

2009

The sun-drenched summer, with its cool nights, offered ideal growing conditions in Sauternes as in the rest of Bordeaux.

Rain fell just at the right time in mid-September, which caused botrytis infection to explode. Moreover, the grapes were fully ripe by this time. If anything, they were too ripe, and estates had to avoid picking grapes with very high potential alcohol levels, as had occurred in 1990. This also meant that the harvest was swift as there was nothing to be gained by leaving richly botrytised fruit on the vines.

Climens picked 93% of its crop in eight days. By mid-October the harvest was over, just as stormy weather arrived in the region.

The wines were of high quality, and careful blending ensured that alcohol levels were not excessive.

2005

A hot and dry year, which resulted in great red wines but was more problematic for Sauternes, which needs humidity to encourage noble rot.

There was some rain in mid-September, but cool winds kept botrytis at bay. Some Sauvignon was picked in late September, and further pickings (mostly Semillon) took place during October, which provided an Indian summer. With cool nights and morning mists, conditions were ideal for the development of noble rot.

It was a prolonged harvest, but the fine weather allowed châteaux to pick each plot at the right moment. The quality of the botrytis was excellent, but the acidity was relatively low, so this is probably not a vintage for long cellaring. Yields were generous at about 20hl/ha.

2001

The vines matured fast, and by late August the Sauvignon was ripe. While a dry, early September delayed the onset of botrytis, it helped conserve the high acidity in the grapes. Rain fell on 20 September and botrytis infection began, while wind and sunshine concentrated the fruit on the vine.

Sauvignon was picked first, and noble rot continued to spread after rain showers in early October. The very warm but damp conditions were perfect for botrytis.

For most estates the harvest was completed by mid-October, although a few, including Yquem, made a final foray at the end of the month. The wines were fresh and distinctly sweet, often with residual sugar levels of up to 160g/L.

The balance and energy of the wines generated a rapturous reception from critics, which has proved justified.

1999

Sauvignon Blanc ripened fast and botrytised fast, and many grapes were picked in the first half of September. Rain followed, but by early October it was possible to begin picking the Semillon.

Downpours during the harvest period complicated the vintage: some pickings had to be rejected, and rigorous sorting was widespread. The fruit that went into the presses was very concentrated and had pure flavours, and growers were happy with the quality overall.

Indeed, Yquem compared it to 1990, but in retrospect that may have been a touch overenthusiastic. Selection meant that this was a fairly small crop, although Yquem reported close to normal yields. However, La Tour Blanche ended up with modest yields of only 7hl/ha.

See tasting notes and scores for 10 great Sauternes to drink now

The recommended wines are listed in score order by descending vintage and were tasted between 2018 and 2021.

You may also like

Bordeaux 1990s: the complete guide

Best Sauternes and Barsac 2020 wines tasted en primeur

Great-value French white wine: 20 under £25